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Monday, December 31, 2012

Portman Tells Obama to Nix Pay Raise to Biden and Congress

Republican Sen. Rob Portman is urging President Obama to rescind a recent executive order granting pay increases to Congress and other federal officials, saying the move doesn't exactly jibe with the country's debt crisis.
Obama signed an executive order last week that will lift a ban on pay freezes for federal employees.
Rank-and-file members of Congress would all see a $900 bump next year -- up from $174,000. Congressional leaders will receive a slightly higher raise, with the House speaker receiving a $1,100 salary increase to $224,600. The top two Senate leaders will see pay rise $1,000, to $194,400.
Vice President Biden, meanwhile, will see his pay increase from $225,521 last year to $231,900 after his raise goes into effect March 27, 2013.
Portman said now is not the time for bigger salaries in Washington -- at least not until the country can deal aggressively with its debt and deficit problems.
"At a time when our country is facing record debt and trillion-dollar deficits, the last thing Washington should do is reward itself with a pay increase," the Ohio senator said. "I am calling on President Obama to withdraw his recent executive order raising federal salaries -- including for members of Congress. Until a long-term deficit reduction agreement is reached, we should not consider increasing the pay for Congress."

Senator Portman may be using this issue to get his name in the papers for what I believe to be a rather quixotic attempt to become the 2016 GOP presidential nominee. However, I don't care. Our Congressional leaders and this dithering idiot of a VP do not deserve a pay raise. Unemployment is up. Regulations are up. Inflation would be skyrocketing if not for the voodoo Bernanke and Co. are doing, but it will come. Confidence is down. Hope is shot. Regulations are up. And Congress has done little but bluster.
Or, Portman may really believe what he and Rep. Bachmann on the house side are saying. It doesn't matter. Obama should rescind this idea of pay raising, especially in a time when most people are seeing salaries continue to be flat, benefits become more costly, and disposable cash at historic lows.

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